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Police in Chita, Aichi Prefecture, have arrested the 79-year-old driver of a truck that hit and killed an 8-year-old boy.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Fuji TV reported that the boy, Daibu Okada, was on his way home when he was hit as crossed the road. Police said he was confirmed dead at the scene.
The driver, Eitaro Kawai, has been charged with reckless driving resulting in death. Police said the accident occurred on a straight stretch of road and that visibility was good at the time.
The boy had been attending a swimming school and just got off a bus near his home when he was hit by the truck.
© Japan Today
21 Comments
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MsDelicious
Dusk makes for visibility inaccuracies. RIP little swimmer.
Kobe White Bar Owner
Dusk makes for visibility inaccuracies, as does being 79 years old and still driving.
Mirai Hayashi
79 year old driving a truck??? REALLY...oh c'mon!! Bounds of reason....PLEASE
Mar044
Rest in Peace, sadly older people don't see they are not 20 anymore and shouldn't drive.
Bububu3
Considering sunset is about 4:30pm right now, 6:30pm is well after it's completely dark.
I feel so bad for the family of this boy...
Dan Lewis
I'm surprised they called it at the scene and not the hospital. Must have been pretty bad. That sucks.
Wakarimasen
He should have taken the offer of cheaper ramen in exchange for his licence.
nandakandamanda
Dusk. No zebra crossing according to the Japanese article.
No lights on the truck? Kid not looking? So sad?
kohakuebisu
From the photos, it was a full size truck, not a kei truck that many old people drive.
While there is the question of whether a 79 year old should be driving a full size truck, there isn't a crossing at the accident site, so there is also the question of how the boy was crossing the road. I ran into the road and was knocked over when I was six. I was nearly killed but it was entirely my own fault.
oldman_13
Another old driver and a needless death. When will they learn.
Ah_so
Over 75s should be retested regularly, even if only on their eyesight and reaction speeds.
smithinjapan
79 and driving a truck of all things, and killing a kid. RIP to the boy.
sensei258
But he's old, he won't go to jail, prolly just pay gomenesai money
Daniel Naumoff
Should I start counting how many lives are lost to senior, unable to uphold their duties to the full extent drivers, before someone passes laws reducing national mortality rate??
sensei258
Medical tests and frequent retesting are good ideas, but don't mean a damn thing if they are simply not paying attention
nandakandamanda
So sad.
(In my post above there was a mistakenly placed question mark at the end, but no facility on JT to go back and edit. Unreserved apologies.)
I agree with Wakarimasen. This guy should be applying for his free ramen real soon.
Kevin Lee Brooke
Mandatory yearly driving tests for age 70 + drivers, I say. And make it free for them as well.
nath
The cops should start playing Russian roulette with these drivers at the scene. It's what these drivers are doing to the public every time they get behind the wheel.
sir_bentley28
I think that in most countries, 70 years should be the driving limit. Because many older people secretly have problems (decreasing sight, short term memory resulting in getting lost easily) that they don't tell others because they want to continue to appear young which result in incidents such as these.
turbotsat
Driving test in a simulator should be required, with results automatically logged. Not just an eye test that the examiner might go lax on.